Off grid means off grid: How 5-bedroom bungalow survived electricity without ‘NEPA’ for one year

6 months ago

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A technology company in Nigeria launched September 3rd 2016 the first home fully powered by the power of the sun, completely disconnected from the national grids of the electricity transmission company of Nigeria.

TheNewsGuru reports the home is a 5-bedroom bungalow powered by a 12.6KW Solar Off Grid System that runs 94% on the power of the sun and 6% on diesel during cloudy weather.

“Off grid means it has been completely disconnected from PHCN and it’s been running without a blink since the 3rd of September 2016,” the company, Concept Technologies, said in a statement made available to TheNewsGuru.

This setup, the electricity tech company said has powered the 5-bedroom bungalow with 6 units of 1HP LG inverterV air conditioners, 1 unit of ¾HP water pump, 3 units of 1200W bathroom water heater, 2 units of 260LT chest freezer, 2 units of 55” LED TVs, 3 units of 32” LED TVs, 2 units of DStv decoders, 2 units of surround sound stereos, 1 unit of 1200W pressing iron, 1 unit of 1200W microwave oven, 1 unit of 1200W electric kettle, 1 unit of exercise treadmill machine, 20 units of of 12W LED bulbs, 10 units of 6W LED bulbs, 30 units of 3W LED bulbs and 10 units of 26W CFL bulbs for the past one year without failure.

Speaking at a media parley in Lagos, Mr. Tokunbo Tonade, the Managing Director of Concept Technologies, said the company came up with the cost-effective solar energy option to reduce the burden of power supply.

“I have been trying to advocate for renewable energy so that Nigerians can see the gains in it. You are buying a generator; you are using X-amount of money to install the generator, to buy diesel and fuel yearly. When we add everything up, they are higher than what you will use to install solar energy,” he said.

To ease banks’ burden on power supply, Concept Technologies, which for years maintained inverter-backup system for banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), said it has developed a cost-effective solar energy option that will cost N13.6 million yearly to reduce the burden of power supply on banks’ profitability.

Tonade said every year a bank spends N50 million to power each of its branches, and that in 10 years, it would have spent N500 million to power a branch alone.

“I want to give you something that has 25 years warranty at N120 million, and it will break even in two years, unlike your generator where you are spending N500 million in 10 years and you are still spending all the way,” he said.

Tonade said one of his company’s products, a 150 watts solar energy facility, goes for N180,000 only.